Month: June 2025

LAGOS, JUNE 1 (URHOBOTODAY) – “Education is not a scam.” That was the powerful theme at the five-year anniversary celebration of the Orogine Ohwofa Education Foundation’s scholarship programme, held in Ohoror, Uwheru community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. Founded by High Chief Simeon Ohwofa and other like-minded philanthropists, the Foundation has, over the past five years, awarded scholarships to 50 secondary school students and five university students from the Uwheru community, with some of the beneficiaries already making strides in their careers. Speaking at the event, High Chief Ohwofa shared his personal journey, recounting how he benefitted from education and was supported during his university days by the late Albert Eko and others. Inspired by their generosity, he decided to give back to his community. “When I was in the university, I struggled financially, but people like the late Albert Eko stepped in to support me. There’s no longer such help available today, so we asked ourselves, what can we do? That’s how the Orogine Ohwofa Educational Foundation was born,” he said. The Foundation provides two scholarships per quarter in Uwheru for secondary school students and one scholarship per quarter for university students every year. The initiative, named in honour of his mother, Orogine, and the Ohwofa family, aims to build human capital, which Chief Ohwofa described as the most valuable investment. “Some people build houses, buy cars, or plant crops. I believe in growing human beings. Train them, and you’ll reap the benefits for 50 years,” he said. In an inspiring speech, Dr. Benson Uwheru, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB), urged the students to be intentional, relentless, humble, yet bold, and to always remember their roots. “When you succeed, reach back and lift someone else, just as the Foundation is lifting you,” he advised. Other dignitaries at the event included former Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Sunny Ohwefada, motivational speaker Dr. Apoki, students, and community members. The Orogine Ohwofa Education Foundation continues to shine as a beacon of hope, empowering the next generation through education and community support.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, has revealed that the federal government is using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify poor Nigerians living in urban slums, as part of efforts to expand the national social register and improve the reach of anti-poverty programs. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Friday, Yilwatda said the updated social register now covers both rural and urban communities, growing from 13 million to 19.7 million individuals. “To help someone, you must first know them. You can’t support people you can’t identify. That’s why we started by validating the social register,” Yilwatda explained. He said AI, combined with satellite imagery, telecoms data, and financial access records, was used to locate urban slums, identify phone users in those areas, and verify their economic status. The minister noted that the federal government is targeting 15 million households — about 75 million Nigerians — through various anti-poverty interventions, including conditional cash transfers. Addressing the issue of food poverty, Yilwatda highlighted that 42% of Nigerians, or approximately 80 million people, face challenges in accessing sufficient food. The federal government aims to reach 75% of these households with support, including cash transfers of N75,000 per household. “While that figure might seem small to someone in the city, it has a significant impact in rural communities. Studies with the World Bank and civil society partners have shown that 18% of recipients started nano or small-scale businesses with this support, 82% used it to improve food security, and 52% paid school fees for their children,” Yilwatda said. He also pointed to broader structural efforts, including N1.5 trillion in loans for farmers through the aggregate bank, student scholarships, and measures to stabilize food prices and reduce inflation. Yilwatda stressed that while humanitarian aid remains important, the government’s focus is shifting towards long-term solutions that lift people out of poverty entirely. “Poverty alleviation reduces the pain; poverty reduction moves people out of poverty entirely,” he said.

News Reporter: Kamal Yalwa At least 151 people have been confirmed dead, and thousands more displaced following devastating floods in Mokwa, Niger State, central Nigeria. The disaster struck after relentless rainfall from Wednesday night into Thursday, leaving a trail of destruction, heartbreak, and uncertainty. Authorities from the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) disclosed on Saturday that search and rescue operations are ongoing, with many bodies recovered as far as 10km (6 miles) downstream from the worst-hit areas. The actual death toll could be much higher, with many still missing. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Mokwa, highlighted the grim reality, stating, “When officials give you a figure, the real toll could be two, three, or even four times higher.” The floods have displaced at least 3,018 people, with 265 houses completely destroyed. Residents, many now homeless, are left combing through rubble and muddy waters, searching for loved ones and salvaging what little remains. President Bola Tinubu, in a condolence message, assured Nigerians that search and rescue operations were underway, supported by security forces. He also directed the immediate deployment of relief materials and temporary shelters to assist affected families. “We lost everything, the families. We don’t have anywhere else to go, the property has gone,” Mohammed Tanko, a local resident, told Al Jazeera. Another survivor shared: “I escaped with only my nightdress. Right now, I can’t even identify where our home used to be.” The exact cause of the floods remains unclear, but residents speculate a possible dam failure upstream. Authorities have not confirmed this, but the volume and force of the water caught many unprepared, overwhelming homes and communities. As families mourn and search teams continue their grim task, the tragedy in Mokwa has once again underscored the vulnerability of rural communities in Nigeria to extreme weather events and the urgent need for improved flood management and disaster preparedness. For more updates on the Mokwa floods and ongoing rescue efforts, visit [news platform link].